Exotic Eyewear brings fashion to frames, no prescription needed

When I was growing up, the kids who wore glasses were the ones who got picked on. If you wore glasses, you were immediately identified as a geek. A poindexter. A four-eyes. You know, the kind of kid who asks for extra homework.

Hollywood didn’t help either. Remember Rachel Leigh Cook in “She’s All That”? The skinny wide frames she wore were one of the more obvious clues that Laney Boggs was just one of those high school super-dorks. Of course, it didn’t help that her after-school job was working the cash register at the Falafel Barn — but once Boggs got that makeover — her glasses were the first to go.

Times have changed. At some point in the 1990s, glasses made a cross-over. They made the shift from nerdy to stylish. And buying a pair of glasses no longer just has to be the second step in your yearly eye doctor appointment. They are are a statement accessory – no prescription required – like a bow-tie or a piece of jewelry.

Photo by Francie Swidler, The Denver Post

For those of you that wear glasses, inspect your specs. How long ago did you get them? Are you still wearing the first pair of glasses you’ve ever had? Just like you buy new shoes for summer or a new jacket for winter, styles change. Perhaps it’s time for an update.

The first step is to start seeing what kind of frames best frame your face. One of the coolest places to do this at 43rd and Tennyson Street – inside a cute, cream-colored house called Exotic Eyewear.

At Exotic Eyewear (also home to Sports Optical), you might discover that you’ve been completely neglecting searching for style when it comes to glasses. There is nothing clinical about the place. It’s all about the attitude and panache of glasses. There’s no optometrist inside, and no eye doctor appointment to make.

If you’ve already got a prescription, bring it in and they’ll design lenses to fit into your frames. If you’re just looking to buy glasses an accessory – without a prescription – they’ll do that too. Many of their customers have perfect vision but love the look of glasses.

Photo by Francie Swidler, The Denver Post

Also at Exotic Eyewear, there aren’t any rules when it comes to which frame styles look best with which face shapes. This was one of the first — well, rules — that Brett Hunter, master optician and owner of Exotic Eyewear told me when I asked him that exact question. “We don’t do that kind of thing here. We want people to try on whatever they see that looks funky, or natural, or cool. We don’t follow the rules.”

As a female glasses wearer who wears men’s frames (mine are these Jhane Barnes frames from Drucker Eyes), I don’t follow the rules either. Glasses so often become part of one’s personality or character. There are no rules when it comes to expressing yourself.

The brassy shop doesn’t stop there when it comes to debunking out-of-date and out-of-style glasses myths.

Photo by Francie Swidler, The Denver Post

Mens and womens frames are mixed into the same cases, encouraging shoppers to try on whichever ones they like — with no male or female stigma attached. While some of their frames appear to be dominated by a girly or manly style, Exotic Eyewear wants the person behind the glasses to truly create the look. “So many of the frames we have here are unisex,” says Kyle Ross, who works with Hunter. “Anyone can get down with whatever style they like or speaks to them. It doesn’t matter if the frames were meant for men or women.”

At Exotic Eyewear, you don’t just look in the mirror when trying on different glasses. You take a picture of yourself with an iPad, so you can see how your face photographs with each different frame.

They also carry a large number of designs from independent North American and European eyewear designers, that use materials like maple wood, aluminum, stained glass, titanium and carbon, with the kind of labels or designs you won’t find at a vanilla eye doctor or big box store.

Photo by Francie Swidler, The Denver Post

“A lot of the times when looking for glasses, people just look for a label that they think is cool,” says Ross. “Other than that, they don’t really know what they are looking for. Here, it’s just about a unique frame instead of showing off a brand.”

And on that note, Exotic Eyewear specifically shies away from stocking duplicates. Once you pick your pair, you’re practically getting a one-of-a-kind accessory.

I tried on close to fifteen pairs. With each frame, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that my new-found obsession with glasses could easily rival my collection of motorcycle boots. And why not? I don’t buy my shoes from a podiatrist. Why do I need to buy my glasses at the eye doctor?

The pricing for their frames isn’t much different than that of a quality handbag or slick pair of wingtips. Frames start at $149 and go up to $599, with lenses starting at $69. Extra items, like anti-reflective coating – which reduces glare – begins at $129. They’ll work with your Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account, and give 20 percent off frames and lenses to returning customers and their immediate families.

Photo by Francie Swidler, The Denver Post

Yes. Of course I remember the Seinfeld episode where George buys ladies glasses. Exotic Eyewear won’t let you walk out of the store with a complete swing and a miss. But you like what you like. And you’ll likely find a pair you like, there.

Sounding too exotic for you? Try Europtics (several locations throughout the Metro area), Coastal.com (great deals, plus you can upload a picture of your face to try on with different frame styles), or Rivet and Sway (ladies only; all frames are a straight up $199).

Visit Exotic Eyewear at 4337 Tennyson St. in the Highlands, or 303-455-3369

(Auntie Wendy, we did, in fact, love her marketing.) But Francie wears glasses like a champ – we couldn’t even find one that didn’t look great on her. And she didn’t write anything that wasn’t true:)

ptpress

I do remember that movie “She’s All That” because she is all that and the eye glass looks good on her. I actually wear glasses myself and before when somebody used that as an accessory, I wish that we would switch eyes so I don’t have to wear glasses anymore. I don’t like wearing them every time! But I guess you’re right, wearing eyeglasses right now has become part of the accessories.

A lot of my friends have been doing this lately – getting eyeglasses without a prescription from an eye clinic in Edmonton. It’s quite a fashion statement around here. I haven’t gotten on board with it yet, but maybe someday I will conform.